Second Chances
by Kerica
Summary: There are those who deserve second chances, and those who do not. Kerica Naito is of the category who do. What she's unaware of, is there's more than meets the eye. Never judge a book by it's cover, and take advantage of opportunities presented to you because you'll never know if it's your last chance.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

With a loud yawn, Kerica Naito stretched and rubbed her face into her pillow. Then she proceeded to stretch like a cat and put her chin on her hand, "A brand new day. Hey, I even got up before my alarm. I slept rather well, too. Today's gunna be good! I hope Otou-san is feeling better today…" she grinned and got up. Her stomach growled, so after turning off her alarm she grabbed her remote and turned on the TV, vaguely listening to it as she started some waffles in her toaster.

"Today we're visiting the lucky winner of our round-the-world trip sweepstakes!" a sweet-sounding reporter's voice came through the speakers. Glancing over as she went to her dresser, she thought he was rather cute to match his voice. Wait…that was her apartment complex! Ha, she could picture her neighbor squealing and shouting now. She never entered in stuff like that, it was stupid and pointless.

Dressed for work, and in the middle of spreading peanut butter on one waffle she heard a knock. What? Arching a brow she looked at it suspiciously. "Coming!" she called, placing her food on a plate and walking over. It was the reporter and his camera man!

"Congratulations!" the boy grinned.

"Excuse me?" This wasn't happening…

"You've won a trip around the world!" he laughed at her expression.

Kerica's eyes widened, "I didn't even enter!"

She was ignored… "Here we have, Kerica, the winner of our sweepstakes! How do you feel?"

"You've got this all wrong, I didn't enter any sweepstakes…" Who was this guy? This had to be a hoax…

The silver haired young man winked at her, "Don't sweat the small stuff. Just be happy you won!" He handed her a large envelope, "Enjoy your trip!"

Kerica stared at it as the door was shut behind him as he left. What in the world? "What the hell just happened?" she shook her head and opened it as she went back to her kitchen, "So there are plane tickets in here…" there was also a tarot card that fell into her hand. The Devil…the style was different than the tarot deck she owned, but the meaning was the same. It meant bondage metaphorically, because it called for looking deeper into situations for the real truth and meaning. Tarot cards tended to have long meanings, but generally this particular one came out when the person was feeling out of control of their life. It was a sign that there were choices, that you could take back that control if you looked at the big picture and thought outside of the box.

It was funny that she had gotten this card herself the night her father was put into the hospital. She had done it to calm down, to focus on something else. Now that it appeared in this envelope…this was proof there was more going on than met the eye.

* * *

"Chikusho!"** /Damn it!/** She cursed as she ran out of her apartment building, "I'm gunna be late!" She'd called the hospital to check on her father and they had chatted so long she forgot the time! Out of nowhere, as she reached the sidewalk, she saw a big black dog that reminded her of a Labrador came charging at her.

THUMP!

"Omph!" Kerica got the breath knocked out of her as she was knocked to the ground. As she was falling back, however, she had heard a loud SNAP! Looking down as the dog pinned her down, wagging its tail and panting, she frowned, "Oh no, my heels broke!" She loved these shoes!

Two men walked up to her. One with black hair and glasses, the other blond. "Are you okay?" the blond asked kneeling down and dragging the dog off of her with ease, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" He looked at the black haired guy, "Shiki, let's give her the shoes."

"Eh?" Kerica blinked. Why would some random stranger give her shoes?

"Allow me to apologize for Cerberus," the blond said gently.

"/_Cerberus_/?!" Her eyes widened. What a name to give a dog! Though looking at her again, she could see why he'd earn that kind of name.

"Hai, Cerby. That's the name of the dog that crashed into you just now," the blond laughed at her surprise. He looked at the other again, "Come on, Shiki. Hurry up."

The man named Shiki reluctantly handed her the box that had been tucked under his arm. She frowned as she took it, "Are you sure?"

"Just take it," Shiki grunted.

"A-Alright…" Kerica bit her lip and looked at it. Opening the box she stared at them. A gorgeous pair of black heels… "These are made by Prada!" No way! These were so expensive; she couldn't buy them even if she wanted to!

"Feh, I doubt they'll look good on you anyway," Shiki sneered.

What a nice guy…she thought sarcastically.

The blond spoke up again in her favor, "Nonsense. I'm sure they'll look gorgeous on you. Why don't you try them on? This is a present from me to you, since Cerby broke your other pair."

"I don't know if I can accept such high-class shoes…" Kerica frowned. Accident or not…

"Oh, don't worry about that. I own the company that makes them." He beamed.

The brunette gasped, "Nani?! You own Prada?!"

"Tch. Just put them on already, will you?" Shiki grumbled. He knelt down, taking the shoes from her and putting them on for her.

They fit perfectly…but how was that possible? She had such small feet, only a size six…most women wore sevens or eights. Looking up, she spoke, "Ariga—" They weren't there anymore. Sighing, she stood up, and noticed black feathers on the ground. Where did all these come from?

* * *

"I imagined my day would be a good one, but this is just getting ridiculous," Kerica muttered as she got into her department at work.

"It's not like you to be late, Kerica!" her friend Iori jogged up to her, looking concerned.

She had no idea… "It's a /_long_/ story…" She doubted Iori would believe her if she told her.

"Whoa!" Iori gasped suddenly, "Are those Prada shoes?!"

Unfortunately she was correct. "Yeah. I didn't buy them myself, though…" These shoes were so classy and gorgeous, and they were comfortable, which was surprising. She wouldn't even have blisters like she would when breaking in her normal shoes. Out of nowhere, Kerica stiffened when she heard /his/ voice.

"Ooi, Naito!" the handsome co-worker that had transferred departments last week came up to Kerica. He was the resident hotshot… "You got plans tonight?" he asked with a cool smirk.

This couldn't be happening… "Uh, not really," she answered, furrowing her brows.

Mr. Kamui moved his hand to his tie, as if he was straightening it, but she saw a chain under his white shirt. Did he wear a necklace under his suit? "Good. We're having dinner together so don't make any."

Oh god no! "Nani?!" But before she could protest, he was gone. Why was this happening to her?

Iori looked at her with wide shocked eyes, "Whoa, what's going on here? When did you two get so close?"

"We haven't even really talked!" Kerica groaned. While all the other girls had flocked to him, she had kept her distance. Guys like him tended to be macho, and from what little she had encountered of him, he was kind of an ass.

A smirk played on her friend's lips, "Maybe you're finally starting to get popular with the guys?"

She doubted it. The guys in this department tended to steer clear of her because she wasn't 'lady like'. They may admire her, since she was a small woman, 5ft nothing, with large 36D breasts. It looked odd, considering she was skinny and athletic as well, but she just…somehow managed to pull it off. She was a freak of nature, since 99 percent of Japanese women had smaller breasts. Well, she couldn't change what she was, and damn Kakeru Kamui wasn't planning on taking no for an answer in the first place, it had been written all over that smug face of his.

* * *

She was right. He'd been waiting for her outside the doors to their business when she got off work, and she didn't have a chance to go home and change. Thank god these new heels were comfortable, and she had brought enough money with her so she should be able to pay for her fair share. There was no way she was going to let him pay for her…

At least, that's what she thought until she saw the menu. Ugh. She could barely afford an appetizer let alone a meal. She opted for the mozzarella sticks, and gave the waiter her menu and ordered a simple glass of water. Of course a place like this wouldn't have soda.

Kakeru looked at her, surprised, "You're not hungry or something?"

Her stomach growled, but she crushed the urge to blush even as she saw his eyebrow rise. Kerica prayed he didn't really hear that and he made that gesture to prompt her to answer, "No, I just…" _/'Don't want you to pay for me…'/_ "I've never been to such a fancy restaurant before, so I'm nervous, heh…" Of course, someone like him who was no doubt rich looked pretty comfortable here.

Kakeru smirked a little, "I see…To tell you the truth, I'm nervous, too."

It was her turn to arch a brow, "Oh really?" Bullshit.

"I've always wanted to ask you out to dinner like this," Kakeru admitted, tugging at the necklace under his shirt again.

Triple bullshit with a dash of sprinkles and a cherry on top. They'd only been working in the same department a week! Though…Kerica bit her lip a little. That…that damn smile…she'd never seen it before. He was always so professional at work. He looked…rather handsome, and like he meant it. Was…this really so bad? She'd been on guard so much since…had she been too quick to judge? Was this what the Devil card meant? Don't judge a book by its cover?

"Something wrong?" Kakeru asked curiously.

"Oh, uh, nothing, nothing at all. I was just…looking at your tie clip. It's kind of an…unusual thing to wear to a date," Kerica looked at him with a bit of confusion.

"Do you like it? This thing's a charm, actually…" Kakeru fingered it.

A skull-shaped charm…not particularly her cup of tea. It was a bit morbid, to be honest. Kerica shrugged, not commenting on her opinion of it, "By the way…I'm really happy we could—" she was cut off as her phone decided to ring just then. Of all times!

He was surprised, and maybe…a little disappointed? "A phone call? From who?" he asked.

Kerica fished for it to find out exactly that. When she saw the caller ID she bit her lip and stood up, "My step-mother…Gomen, can you please excuse me for a bit?" Since they were on the balcony and there was plenty of room out here, she just went to the railing and answered, "Moshimoshi? Hey, Rose! You sound pretty chipper…haha, Otou-san told you, huh? Yeah, but you'll never guess where I am now! I—" she gasped as she felt /his presence behind her, and she tensed as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I only want you looking at me, okay?" Kakeru purred in her ea as he gently plucked the phone from her hand.

This guy…was he teasing her? His embrace felt…so warm, and the way he spoke…was he really…interested in her? Her breathing was ragged and she felt hot in her clothes… "Um…"

"Pardon me!" came someone's voice behind them. Turning around when Kakeru let her go, she saw a man in a chef's outfit… She was torn between feeling relieved and irritated. "Sorry to ruin the moment." He didn't look sorry at all.

Kakeru gripped his tie, though yet again she saw the chain move as he tugged at the necklace he had underneath, "You mind reading the mood a bit?" he growled. The way he glared made her wonder if they knew each other. He led her back to their table and the chef followed them.

When they sat down he spoke up again, "I've brought you a special cake creation!" This guy…his haircut was messy and framed most of the right side of his face, and his eyes were a deep brown, similar to Kakeru's, only more…sensual? Was that the word she was looking for? In any case, he kind of gave off the air of a pervert, with the way he glanced over her like that.

Kakeru grunted, "I didn't order one."

"Oh no. You see, when I saw this fine lady, I felt a flash of inspiration," the chef grinned.

"Me?!" Kerica's grass green eyes widened.

"Hey, isn't that the Charisma Chef?" a customer spoke up, gasping.

More murmurs erupted on the balcony, "I heard he was good looking, but he's really handsome!"

The chef had the cake set on their table, "What do you think? I haven't felt this kind of inspiration in a long time."

Kerica was rather surprised. It was…unique, "It looks delicious, but…what that decoration in the center?" Was it what she thought it was?

"Ah, yes. I modeled it after a scythe," he answered rather nonchalantly.

Sooo…the inspiration he received from looking at her reminded him of Death's weapon of choice? Creepy… A…flash of a vision crossed in front of her eyes. Running…pain down her back, then she would turn and…Kerica rubbed her neck, feeling a bit…colder. "W-Why a scythe?" her voice sounded weak even to her own ears.

The chef whispered in her ear, sending chills down her back, but not of the good kind, "Because I want to reap your heart with a scythe."

Kakeru's voice was firm and jerked her from her scary thoughts, which she was thankful for, "Sorry, but I'll be the one to harvest her heart."

For the love of…she would much rather have Kakeru do so than the pervert behind her, but really…his tie pin, the cake, their words…she felt as though she should be making a connection, but all she felt was creeped out.

The first customer from before spoke up again, "Those two studs are fighting over her!"

"That's so dreamy!" the second cooed.

Of course what'd she find creepy, others would find cute. It usually happened visa-versa as well. Ugh, she just wanted to get this over with… "Arigato for the cake, though it looks like our food is being delivered."

The chef looked disappointed and grumbled before moving away from her and bowing, "It was my pleasure. Please enjoy," he winked and before she knew it, was gone. All the guys she ran into today did that…

"Baka Satoru…" Kakeru cursed under his breath. He looked at her, his brows furrowed, "Are you…alright?" He shifted, like he wasn't used to asking that.

Was he…concerned? Kerica smiled at him, "Hai, I'm fine, though the cake was the last thing I expected on this date," she didn't want to tell him she preferred what he said over the other guy, so she focused on her mozzarella sticks.

* * *

Kerica was pleasantly surprised at how well the date went. Humming she turned the corner to her apartment complex, "What a weird day." Those plane tickets she wasn't entirely sure were real, fabulous shoes she had yet to feel any irritation from…that date with Kakeru, which she felt her cheeks heat up when she thought of… Every chick at the office had their eye on him, and he picked /_her_/, of all people. "His smile…it was so breathtaking…" she felt herself want to see more of it, be the cause of it…Gah, for how tough she acted, she was such a sap.

But…in all honesty, she'd never /_been_/ on a date before. She felt she'd used all her life's worth of luck in a single day. Was that possible?

A familiar, deep bark filled her ears. Oh no, not again…Glancing over she saw a familiar shape, though Cerby certainly looked like a terrifying Hell Dog here at night, her eyes glowing, her fur almost making her invisible in the night, her shiny white teeth glinting as she panted.

Kerica yelped as she was once again knocked to the ground under the street lamp she'd been standing next to. From here she saw the girl dog's tail wagging excitedly. "Hello to you, too, Cerby," she greeted, patting her head and scratching behind her ear. Now to wait for that blond man from before…She couldn't cal this bad luck to her god luck. Not that she was even surprised anymore…

Kerica screamed and shot up in panic, gripping Cerby around the neck as there was a loud explosion. Looking up, she saw flames lighting up the night sky, blocking the stars with smoke. T-That was her apartment! "N-Nani?! How even…?"

"Jeez…Who messed up?" The chef from before came from the shadows. Didn't her co-worker call him Satoru?

Kakeru had his hand t his tie, looking irate as he also came from nowhere. When did his suit change? Did he even have time to go home, change, and come here? "Ooi! How come you're hanging around out here?"

"Now my plan's ruined, thanks to you," Kakeru looked none too pleased, glaring at her. He folded his arms, his sneer cold, "You were supposed to be toast after that explosion in your room."

Her chest tightened, a pain shooting into her heart. She was so…dumbfounded, she could only stare at him, "T-Toast?" what was he talking about?

"Are you serious?" It was like Kakeru was amused in a cruel way that she didn't understand.

"Blown to smithereens. Burnt to a crisp…toast," Satoru broke it down, like he was talking to a child. "Do you understand, Kerica Naito?"

"W-What on Earth are you talking about?!" Kerica used Cerby's sturdy build to stand up, her shock wearing off. This…this couldn't be happening!

"Kerica Naito…" The blond man appeared next to the other two. He put it in a kinder, more sympathetic way, "You died in an explosion due to a gas leak and went to Heaven. Well…that was the plan."

"You're the guy from Prata…" Hang on…the tarot card…no… "Wait, how come you know my name?" She didn't even know his.

Shiki, the man that had accompanied the blonde before joined everyone else, "You really are a baka, aren't you?"

"Excuse me?" Kerica scowled.

Shiki looked at her with distaste, "Don't you get it? Just hurry up and get this over with so I can go home and sleep."

Kakeru hadn't moved his hand from his tie, "It's not just her that's a baka, Shiki. It's the entire human population."

Kerica's jaw dropped. They were talking as if… "Wait, you're human, too!" Weren't they?

Kakeru crossed his arms defiantly, "Nope. I'm a demon." So mater-of-factly…

"You can't be serious…" the female of the entire group stared at him.

Then he was right up in her face, so close… "Get it through your thick skull, human. We're demons, and we're here to take your soul. Once we have your soul, we'll recycle it into a new human. It's eco-friendly."

No…no…this couldn't be happening. In her disbelief and denial, she started to laugh nervously, "Heh…you guys are funny. You sure your heads are screwed on right?" With all the evidence in front of her, it was so obvious, but…that would mean…

Before she could continue with that thought, he reached his hand up and snapped his fingers. Just like that, the fire subsided. He looked at her, and she wasn't entirely sure what she saw in his eyes right then, "Do you understand?"

Only her room was burning, but she'd been in so much panic she didn't notice. Her voice was subdued as she asked, "Was I the only one who was scheduled to die?"

The last person arrived, this time she'd been expecting it. All these strange people…the card was right. Not everything was as it seemed. The cute silver haired boy who gave her the tickets smiled gently, "You can't change destiny. We don't have the power to alter people's lifespans."

"You, too, huh?" Kerica asked, even though she knew the answer.

The blonde's voice was soothing as he saw her resigning even more, coming to her senses, "We made you happy today. Aren't you satisfied?"

Satisfied? "So that's why all this happened…" Like she thought. It was all fake. Nothing like this was good to be true. She'd been suspicious the whole time. No one got so lucky. Especially her.

Kakeru came near her, "Let's get this over with. Stay still." He really wanted to be rid of her…

As his hand drew near, she thought of her father. "Stop! Wait!" she used her training to step out of his reach, and she grew determined, her face hardening to be just as cold as what she was used to seeing him give her, "Ten days! Just give me ten days, Kakeru."

They all stared at her, and it was their turn to be taken aback. "There are some things I still want to take care of," she added now that she had gotten them to listen to her. The only ones who even looked remotely interested were the blond and silver haired men. "If you can give me a simple ten days, I'll do whatever you want."

Kakeru snorted and reached for that damnable necklace, "Sorry."

Of course he'd be the /_first_/ to shoot her down, "Why?" he grabbed her wrist without answering, and they engaged in a staring contest. She barely heard the kind boy.

"Aw, come on," he coaxed, "It couldn't hurt, right? Her time and cause of death have already changed. The angels are going to file a claim over this anyway."

Angels? Kakeru growled before she had a chance to think about it more, "If we finish it now, no one will have to know about our mistake." What an asshole! She bared her teeth at him a bit angrily and then he said; "I don't want to have to do this, but…" Screw it! Kerica tugged her arm, trying to pull away, use her training, /anything/ to get away from this demon. Of course…being a demon meant all her tricks were for naught. "Don't struggle. I'm going to take you to Heaven."

"Iie! Stop! I never wanted to go to Heaven!" There were usually people coming home from work at this time, "Let go of me, god damn it!" she shouted, hoping someone would hear her.

Kakeru was amused at her continued attempts to get away, "No dice. We set up a barrier so we won't be seen by other humans."

"Chikusho…" Kerica's throat tightened. Otou-san… She felt a childish pat on the head, and she looked up to see Satoru.

"Gomen. It's so sad to have to turn a pretty little thing like you into toast," Satoru hummed. Seemed he wasn't all that shaken up about it. She looked down and away from him, her eyes stinging, but she refused to cry in front of them. He grinned at her, "You don't have to be so sad. The angels resurrect all the souls we collect into new bodies. It's the circle of life."

Angels…they keep mentioning them. "That doesn't make me feel better," she hissed at him, moving away from him even though Kakeru still had a hold of her.

Kakeru grunted, and moved her even further from Satoru, "Ugh, will you just shut up already? Whatever. You're toast."

The blond frowned, "Yeah, we're only getting more off schedule by the second."

"But wasn't your dog the cause of this, Haruhito?" The silver haired one asked. Ah, so that was his name. Looking at Cerby, she could only wonder if…she did it on purpose?

"He's right," Shiki said, "It's that dumb dog's fault our plan got messed up."

"Keep your voice down. The angels might here us," Satoru glared at Shiki.

Maybe…maybe that was her chance! The Angels! "So you're saying I didn't die because you made a mistake?" Kerica asked, a plan forming in her head.

Kakeru looked at her oddly, "Yeah. This has never happened before. That dog messed it all up at the end. Why are you aski—" his eyes widened at what she did next.

"ANGELS!" Kerica screamed, enjoying how they all winced in a sort of evil way. If they were demons, their hearing was excellent. Angels might be the same. Maybe…she had just a little luck left somewhere?

Kakeru growled, "What do you think you're—"

"I thought that the angels might still be able to hear us inside the barrier," Kerica smirked. They weren't the only ones with good hearing.

Satoru and the silver haired man's eyes widened, "How did you know that?" the young man asked.

"Shoot, maybe she figured it out from what we were said," Satoru grumbled.

She was right! Kerica took a breath and before they could react she screamed again, "ANGELS?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

Kakeru looked in pain since he was right beside her, and his grip tightened, "Cut it out! I don't want this to take any longer than it already is."

"I'll just scream louder, then," Kerica said haughtily, "ANGE—mmph!"

Kakeru was the first to figure it out. Of course he would, though he looked amazed, "Are you trying to threaten us?" She nodded, meeting their eyes so he knew she was dead serious…no pun intended. He sighed and moved his hand from her mouth.

Shiki looked exasperated, "She's got guts, I'll give her that."

Haruhito looked torn, "Even if we give you ten days, that won't change the fact you're toast."

"Ten days is plenty! I have things I want to do still!" Kerica pleaded, thinking about her father again.

The silver one looked upset, "Why don't we just give her the ten days? She said she'd listen to us after that."

Satoru looked at him, "We'd have to hide from Heaven for that whole time, ya know? There's no way we can hide a human for a whole ten days."

"But…" the silver one looked sad. It…made her feel better knowing at least one person was fighting for her.

To her utter astonishment, Kakeru gave in, "Fine. I'll give you ten days."

This made her brighten considerably, "Really?!"

He reached for that necklace… "Just don't yell for the angels again," he growled. Heh, her screaming really did hurt his ears, didn't it? Payback's a bitch. "I hate angels. The last thing I want right now is a lecture from them." Then he smirked at her, which made her tense, "Plus…" He grabbed her jaw, and her eyes widened, "A woman who makes a deal with a demon…For a human, you're pretty interesting."

What was that supposed to mean? Jerk…

Satoru spoke up, "If Kakeru says it's okay, then I won't say anything. This is your responsibility, though."

Kakeru chuckled, and let go of her finally, folding his arms, "I know. We can't just have you wandering around, though. You're supposed to be dead. One of us is going to have to keep an eye on you for these ten days."

This…was not what she was expecting, "Nani?!"

Kakeru smirked at her, "We'll be watching you. 24 hours a day."

Satoru gave her a saucy smile, "Of course, that includes showering and sleeping."

Pervert! "You're not serious are you?!" Kerica growled at him.

Thank god, Kakeru stood up for her, "Lay off, Satoru. Anyway, enough joking around. Pick who you want to watch over you," he looked at her knowingly and held his hand out to her, then repeated more slowly, in that deep, charming voice of his, "Kerica Naito…Who do you want to watch over you?"


	2. Introduction

**Introduction**

Sotoru's room was such a mess and Kerica Naito wasn't too impressed. Her interest had been perked a bit by the 'clairvoyance' part, though. So Sotoru had known she was going to die? That would be an interesting conversation at some point. Meguru was so kind. Meguru mentioned Shiki's room was next…so she was going to see where sleeping beauty resided.

As they walked through the halls in that direction, she could only think of how fancy, clean, and rich it was. She was grateful to everyone, but so much had happened, and she had lost a lot in the fire…she didn't know what to think of it all yet. Meguru opened the door when they reached it and they stepped inside. Wow…the first thing out her mouth was; "Talk about Spartan. It's so empty."

The young silver haired demon laughed in amusement at Kerica's Spartan comment, his eyes sparkling as he turned to the female. "Shiki spends most of his time sleeping, and he doesn't really do much except collect prizes and play on his computer. He's not much of a talker, but don't mind him when he does say something."

His smile was gentle as he continued to show the female the rest of the house, his heart slightly aching at the idea of toasting her. Meguru was a demon-in-training, so his experience in the field was rather limited when it came to toastees. However, he felt a strong sense of sympathy towards Kerica, and wanted to make the ten days she requested mean something.

"Lastly, this is my room." He spoke, opening the door to reveal a Japanese styled room. It gave a soft, tranquil atmosphere, and a large sliding glass door which had access to a relaxing foot tub.

"I had this room custom made to suit my tastes, so I always feel relaxed when I come here." He smiled brightly, stepping to the side to give her room to explore.

"Oh wow! I love this place," Kerica admired, walking around, picking up the little trinkets to look at them more closely, "It's so pretty and homey in your room. Who modeled it for you, Meguru? Whoever did is quite talented!" She had to admit, she had always wanted to decorate her room like this, but tis was life. It was either nice things for herself, or food and rent.

A soft laugh left the male's lips, a grin lighting up his features. "My brother had it modeled for me. He knows how much I like Japanese things, so he had it redone." He chuckled, eyes soft as he watched Kerica examine his trinkets. He honestly found it adorable that the female found his room intriguing, and in the back of his mind, he had a feeling they would get along perfectly.

"Your brother? Who's that?" Kerica looked at him curiously, admiring a geisha doll in her red and pink floral kimono, a gold paper fan in her hand on a black stand. She was among two others, one in black and pink, the other in turquoise, both floral kimonos as well. The turquoise one had an umbrella and she was in the middle. Meguru seemed the type to prefer blues. Shrugging she turned and returned to stand in front of him, "I'm jealous of his skills."

Meguru tilted his head at her question, blinking a few times in confusion. She didn't know...? Realization soon clicked in his mind as a nervous laugh left him. "I guess I forgot to tell you... Kakeru is my half-brother." He spoke with a gentle smile, his gloved hand delving into his pocket.

Kerica's grass green eyes widened with her jaw dropping. She had complimented the bugger! "No way! Ugh, I should've known it'd be Mr. Perfect from work. He's your half-brother? I mean, you two don't particularly look alike, so I didn't even think about it." She didn't say how she thought their personalities were different, too. Meguru was so sweet compared to Kakeru who acted so entitled and like she was beneath him just because she was human, the jerk.

Meguru couldn't help but laugh at Kerica's reaction, a grin lighting up his face. "We get that a lot. My brother was raised very differently from how I was, so that might explain how he acts. You see..." He paused for a brief moment, glancing at his feet. Was it ok to really explain everything to her? It couldn't hurt...

"Kakeru is actually the Prince of the Demon Realm, so he had been told all his life that he was different from everyone else. We're both heirs to the throne, but Kakeru was raised to become the perfect successor." He let out, a slightly sad expression appearing on his face.

Before he could finish his explanation, the silver haired demon's eyes widened at the sight of Kakeru covering Kerica's eyes with his hand, a harsh and cold glare on his handsome face. "You need to learn how to keep your nose out of other people's business." He let out to Kerica, soon turning to Meguru.

"Brother! Don't be so harsh to her!" He spoke with a hint of desperation to his voice, only for Kakeru's glare to grow colder.

"How I treat her doesn't matter. She'll be toast in ten days. Therefore, she doesn't need to know anything else about what we are." He spoke in a low tone, glancing down at the female. "You've heard enough from him."

With that, he guided her out of his brother's room, leaving Meguru with a sad frown.

Kerica smacked his hand off of her shoulder as he led her down the hallway. He wasn't much different than the co-worker she knew, "Always so professional." It hurt when he pointed out she'd be dead in just two weeks so matter-of-factly. That on top of how he spoke to his brother like that… She snorted, "It's no surprise you're a bloody Prince, but you didn't have to snap at Meguru like that. I'm the one who asked." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she put space between them. Perfect face, perfect body, always top-notch at work, perfect job with Meguru's room…no wonder all the girls at work flocked to him. Unfortunately for him, she didn't go for just looks alone. If he was going to be an asshole, she wasn't going to be nice to him and bow down like everybody else.

"I see Meguru has been running his mouth again." The demon muttered under his breath, tugging at the necklace that hung around his neck. Whenever he felt irritated or uncomfortable, he would tug at the cross pendent that was given to him, which had become a natural habit for him.

"Whether you asked him or not, it's none of your business. But what's done is done." He let out with a small sigh, turning to Kerica with narrowed eyes. "That brings me to this question: why did you ask for ten days? What is it that you have to do during that time?" He asked, arms crossed as he gazed with slightly curious eyes.

Kerica was silent until they got to her room. A bit too pink and bright for her tastes, but it was only temporary, anyway. Grumbling she plopped down on the bed and heard him close the door. Ugh, she supposed she had to tell him, in exchange for the extra ten days. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and met her eyes with his, "My father's dying."

Kakeru blinked a few times in surprise, his lips parting to speak but the words wouldn't leave him. Her father was dying…He tugged at his necklace once again, a look of slight disgust crossing his features.

"Humans are utterly foolish." He spoke mainly to himself before crossing his arms again, eyes narrowed as his gaze met hers. "So that is your reason?" He let out, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Her eyes narrowed. God he irritated her, but she hadn't wanted some stranger to look out for her, "He's severely injured as well as sick. My mother attempted to murder him, before my step-mom came home early. All my life, because he's a doctor, I didn't get to see him very often. You could say I'm a daddy's girl, in spite of that. It was just us for a while until my step-mom came along. I just want to spend some time with him before he passes..." she looked away, towards the window that was covered by the blinds, her jaw ticking as she gritted her teeth, "I don't even know how long he's actually going to live. I probably won't even need the ten days, Kakeru. You can toast me then. Demon, human...a child isn't supposed to go before their parents. That's what I believe. So you may think I'm foolish, but tough it out."

His eyes unconsciously turned soft at her explanation, slowly understanding her reason. Kakeru's face turned cold as she explained that her own mother tried to kill him, his gaze drifting to the ground. This was one out of many reasons why he couldn't stand humans. They act out of selfishness, and greed. "I see..." He let out finally, voice surprisingly gentle. He sighed deeply and fixed his tie, glancing at Kerica directly in the eyes. "Just so we're clear, you are forbidden to leave this room without my permission. You follow every command I give you; I expect absolute obedience."

"Mr. High and Mighty ordering me around already," Kerica shook her head, "I wouldn't dream of escaping. You're what's keeping me alive." Yeah she might've threatened them, but…he had ultimately agreed, instead of just ending her right there and being done with it. Why, she still didn't know, but she was thankful.

Kakeru smirked a bit and then reached for her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her up, "Now that we understand each other, maybe you can repay the favor with your body?"

Kerica's eyes widened and she swallowed thickly. Was he just as much of a pervert as Satoru? "My body? How so?"

"Not that, baka. Feeble human girls aren't my type. I'm talking about manual labor," Kakeru let out with a scowl, tugging at his necklace once again.

"Manual labor?" Kerica asked, frowning at how he called her feeble. Was it because she was skinny and small? She was tough, too!

"Make dinner for everyone. I'll give you five minutes to get downstairs." He added, letting her go and walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Baka," Kerica grumbled. She went to the dresser, intent on getting out of her work clothes. That expression...the gentle one...it'd been there if only for a flash. Sighing, she shook her head. As expected, there was just a simple tank top and a random pair of female pajama pants. Nothing else, really. All her things burned in the fire…she'd have to go buy some tomorrow after work. Sighing, she put them on and headed out, making her way to the first floor.

The first person she saw in the hall before she went into the living room was Kakeru, "Ooi...look, I get that what you've done for me is not exactly following protocol, and I am...very grateful." She sighed, and then headed to the kitchen, "Aren't you full? I didn't really have that much at the restaurant, but you ate pretty decently." She didn't have much of an appetite after Satoru brought her that damnable cake.

"I see you do have some gratitude." He spoke with a cocky grin, following her towards the kitchen. As she asked her question regarding the food at the restaurant, a snort left his throat, a slight scowl mixed with an amused smirk appeared on his handsome face. "I wouldn't even call that dinner." He let out in a snarky tone, leaning against the counter as he kept his gaze on Kerica.

A part of him felt rather curious about the human female, but then again, he honestly could care less about her. He saw her as nothing more than a toastee, and believed that the sooner the ten days went by, the better off he would be.

"Let's see what you got here…" Kerica muttered to herself as she fumbled through the fridge. Seeing all sorts of ingredients, she grinned and grabbed what she needed.

X

It wasn't long before she was finished with the main meal. Kerica was a bit surprised that Kakeru watched her the entire time. He didn't even leave to get comfortable. "You weren't kidding when you said you'd be watching me 24/7, Kakeru." She giggled and set the main course off to the side before grabbing a large bowl after rinsing it out and then started on a salad, grabbing a cutting board and cucumbers. She picked through the knife block for the right one and cut off the awkward ends before she began slicing it up.

The demon prince couldn't help but chuckle to himself at her comment, watching Kerica like a hawk eyeing its prey. She wasn't a bad cook based off what he had seen. As much as he hated to admit it, he was rather impressed. As he noticed how she cut the cucumber, a sigh left his lips and walked over to her, gently taking the knife from her hand with a smirk. "You're not very good at cutting cucumbers, are you?" He asked as he took over, skillfully cutting the vegetable in swift movements.

"You're very good with a sword, aren't you?" Kerica shot back, and decided to start taking the plates out to the big dining table, "But, to answer your question, I'm not. They tend to end up uneven, too thin or too thick, I can't keep it consistent. They also end up crooked. That goes for anything else that's solid, though."

"I had that problem when I first started cooking," Kakeru let out, his eyes never leaving the cucumber. "It took some time, but once you get enough practice, you'll get used to it." He added, only for his eyes to widen slightly at his own words. Did he just...relate to her for a moment? No, it couldn't be. He let his guard down and wasn't thinking straight. That had to be it. A slight scowl crossed his features as he finished cutting the cucumber, sliding the pieces into the salad bowl and glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"I like cooking," the auburn haired woman grinned, "I used to cook for myself all the time, but then once my Otou-san married Rose, she taught me a bunch of recipes so I had a lot of fun." She shooed him out of her way while she went back to the salad, "Could you please put the rest of the dishes out on the table while I finish this up, Kakeru? Much appreciated, or is it too petty for a Prince like you?" she smirked at him.

Her request surprised Kakeru, enough for him to blush a small shade of pink across his cheek. A scowl crossed his lips as he took the plates without a word, setting them up onto the table neatly. He couldn't understand why she got him so worked up. It was unnatural to him, but he ignored the feeling for now as he finished setting the table.

X

It was finally time for dinner, and Meguru couldn't help but feel surprised as he noticed how neat everything was. "Kerica, you did all this?" He asked, turning to her with wide eyes. He normally did the cooking, but he had to admit, it was nice to have someone else take care of the food for everyone.

"Wow, Kerica! This looks amazing! I envy your future husband!" Satoru sat down looking at all the available food like a wolf eyeing its prey.

Kerica laughed and nodded to Meguru, "Kakeru set the table, and cut the vegetables for the salad, but I did everything else. I've never cooked for such a large group before, so there might be leftovers. I would rather have too much than not enough, ya know?"

Meguru nodded in understanding, grinning brightly as he took his seat at the table. "I know what you mean. I normally do the cooking for everyone, but it's nice to be surprised once in a while." He chuckled, scooting in closer to the table and inhaled deeply, a satisfied smile gracing his lips. "This smells great!" He beamed.

Kakeru took his seat at the table. He was the first take a bite of the salad once everyone was present and seated, earning a questioning look from his younger brother. "It's edible." Kakeru let out with a smirk, taking another bite of his food.

_/'Says the man taking huge mouthfuls,'/_ Kerica rolled her eyes playfully, happy she was approved by the Prince of Demons, who was no doubt used to having high quality, top notch dishes. She sat between Kakeru and Meguru. For some reason, this felt like the safest place to be among the lot of them. Filling her plate, she began to satisfy her rumbling stomach. Glancing up she saw Shiki putting his chopsticks down, "Done already?"

Haruhito chuckled, "Shiki's never been one for eating. He rarely eats much, if anything."

"I can understand that. Just don't feel hungry, right?" Kerica smiled at Shiki.

"Not that into eating, ya," Shiki shrugged.

"Did you like it, at least?" she tilted her head. Shiki shrugged, but by the way he licked his lips for any lingering flavor, she beamed, knowing she did well, "I'm glad."

"This is really good!" Meguru complimented once he swallowed his food, grinning brightly at Kerica. Kakeru couldn't help but smirk at his younger brother, but his eyes held suspicion as the silver haired demon tried to make conversation. He knew very well that Meguru tended to feel empathy towards toastees, and wanted to make sure that the laws of the Demon Realm were followed.

Watching everyone dig into their food was great. She would say she was a decent cook, nothing compared to her step-mom, but it made her feel proud that she was gaining the praise from /demons/. "I'm kinda average, but arigato, Meguru. Who does the cooking usually?"

"That would be me." Meguru chuckled, glancing at her with soft eyes.

Kakeru smirked slightly and ruffled his brother's hair, eyes focused on the male demon. "He's the best cook out of all of us in the house." He praised, causing Meguru to laugh and gently nudge his hand away.

"I've always done the cooking around here, to be honest. Even though it makes me feel a little embarrassed, it does give me a nice feeling when everyone likes my food so much." He explained to Kerica, turning his gaze to meet hers.

Kerica nodded, "I totally get it, its nice that you all like my cooking. You must feel that way every time." She grinned and ate a bit more. Meguru was so sweet. The opposite of his brother. She was still grateful he actually spoke out about letting her live ten more days.

Haruhito made a noise as if he just thought of something, and he hurriedly finished his bite, "Oh! Kerica! We're gunna have a Welcome Party for you tomorrow! It's going to be so fun!"

"A-A Welcome Party? I don't even deserve one. I forced you guys to let me live," Kerica stared at him in surprise.

Meguru couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, smiling brightly at the female after finishing the last of the food on his plate. "That sounds like fun, actually! It would be my turn to cook for you then." He said, agreeing with Haruhito's idea. Kakeru, however, stared at the blonde demon in disbelief.

"A Welcome Party? Really? That..." He started, then paused for a brief moment with a thoughtful look on his face. Actually... A smirk crossed his lips as an idea formed in his head, turning to Kerica with a small glint in his eye. "I suppose that a party wouldn't be so bad." He chuckled.

Kerica knew that look. It was one of mischievousness. What he had up his sleeve, she didn't know, "Well...if you guys are so adamant about it, a party would help take the edge off." She looked at Meguru, "I look forward to eating your cooking. I am allergic to tomatoes, though, and can't have spicy foods. Figured I would mention that before you use pepper on anything and I become toast due to lack of oxygen because my throat closed up."

Satoru looked excited and glanced at Kakeru, "I could get the wine! You're 21, right, Kerica?"

"Hai, though I prefer my sake. I wouldn't mind trying wine, if that's what you want to get," the brunette shook her head at the ideas flying back and forth among them. She just focused on her food, getting more amused by the second.

After finishing his meal, Kakeru stood on his feet with a smirk on his face. "Kerica," he began, eyeing her carefully. "When you're done eating your food, meet me in my room." With that, he walked out of the dining room and up the stairway, reaching his room and shut the door behind him.

Meguru blinked a few times as he watched his older brother walk out of the room, tilting his head to the side. "Knowing my brother, he must want to talk about something important." He spoke, turning to Kerica with curious eyes.

"Hell if I know," she shrugged, "Better finish eating, in any case." She listened as they continued spewing off ideas and before she knew it, she was done. At least taking the courtesy to wash her own dishes, she dries and put them away and headed up the stairs. Since Meguru had showed her around, the only room she /hadn't/ seen was Kakeru's. Knocking, he called her in and she closed the door behind her, "Did you need me for something?" she asked, looking around. What a clean, organized room. It wasn't bare to the bone like Shiki's, not fancy like Meguru's, more mature than Haru's...it was kind of like Satoru's if he would clean up all those books and papers.

Kakeru turned to her from his desk with a smirk, a stack of papers present on his lap. "I need you to write up this proposal for me." He started, handing her the stack of paper and stood up from his chair. "I need this for a presentation, so enter the data into Excel and format it for me."

"It's just like you to be thinking about work instead of relaxing," Kerica rolled her eyes and sighed, bringing up another chair. She had been carrying around her computer bag this entire time, as well, and brought out her laptop, "So you're going to be staying at the company?" She was so thankful she hadn't lost this in the fire and took it with her wherever she went. It paid to be paranoid.

"It's convenient to have a title to work behind, so for the time being, yes. I also have to keep you under surveillance." He explained, tugging at his necklace that hid under his shirt and tie. "Don't forget, I require absolute obedience. So no complaining and get this done." He finished with a scowl.

"Do you see me booting up my computer? I wasn't /_going_/ to complain," she grumbled at him, "So you'll be watching me at work, too, then?" She shook her head, "I'm happy to help out, anyway. It'll help take my mind off of things. So calm down, Kakeru. I see you have a pile of your own. Do you not want to sit next to me? I can just take this and go to my room, though you're the perfectionist so you more than likely want to make sure I'm doing it to your standards." Thank god she had OCD and her co-workers didn't tend to complain.

The demon prince rolled his eyes at her grumbling, taking a seat beside her to work on the rest of the files that were piled on his desk. "Don't get your panties in a twist, it's fine. No need to get so defensive." He smirked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye before getting back to work. She intrigued him, but refused to show it. His pride got the better of him when it came to showing his feelings.

Ugh…when did she fall asleep? One would imagine a keyboard would be uncomfortable…but the last thing she remembered was staring at the screen and everything getting blurry, but she'd refused to say anything because she was one, stubborn, and two, he had asked for her help. It wasn't about the obedience thing, she didn't care. She could do whatever she wanted, but he was also her co-worker and if she helped make his life easier than her life would be easier. Perhaps that sounded selfish, but if she was going to die in ten days, then she wanted to enjoy it instead of be bogged down by work and Kakeru's hounding.

All of this only took a span of maybe thirty seconds before she realized she was being carried…and the chest she was against was so warm. The scent that filled her nose was nice, like pinewood smoke the day after a bonfire that's saturated in the clothes. So good…she found herself curling into the body of whoever was carrying her just so she could be closer to the warmth, and she breathed deeply, humming in pleasure.

The demon had noticed that Kerica had fallen asleep after several minutes in, and with an irritated roll of his eyes, Kakeru lifted the girl into his arms and held her like a groom would carry his newlywed bride. "Thanks, Kerica. You're a real team player." He spoke with an exasperated sigh, taking the sleeping female to her room. A small tint of pink formed against his cheekbones as she snuggled close to him, only for his lips to curl into a scowl as he laid her down onto the bed, pulling the covers over her.

"This is why humans are a pain in the neck." He mumbled under his breath, cracking his neck and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him with a gentle click.


End file.
